Fake tree??

[Cumminsman]

So I bought a couple of those fake trees at Walmart and got them home and tore them down to clean them. I started sanding on them to make sure they were smooth and I think it might be real wood. But what kind of wood I don't know? Is this safe for my BP?

[DVirginiana]

I do dendrochronology (consists basically just staring at hundreds of tree core samples and analyzing them), and I'd guess that that's a hardwood. There's a chance it could be some sort of uncommon or foreign decorative softwood though, so I can't be 100% sure, esp. without bark.
When you sand it can you smell anything? Again, it's not 100% certain but you'd probably be able to smell the oils if it were pine/cedar/other softwoods.

Edit: Looking again, that may have come from a shrub and not a tree. If so, my guess would lean toward crape myrtle or something in the laurel family. I don't know which shrubs have oils that might bother a snake's respiratory system though.

[Cumminsman]

It didn't have a smell to it when I sanded it. Here is a pic with the bark still on it. I cut it at a angle so u could see the grain a little better.

[Cumminsman]

Here are the shavings from scraping and sanding. Not sure it will help you determine.

[DVirginiana]

Nice. It's def. not a pine or cedar. Looks like a Ficus tree to me.
Off the top of my head I can't think of anything other than pine/cedar that has oils strong enough to bother a snake, but someone with more knowledge about snake-safe plants can probably tell you for sure.

[Cumminsman]

Well thank you for your info! I will wait to see if I get anymore input. Thank you again!!!